1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the present invention relate to vehicle seat assemblies having a structural layer comprising an expanded polymer, wherein a cavity extends partially into the structural layer to facilitate flexure of the structural layer in response to an applied force.
2. Background Art
Vehicles occasionally experience forces such as shock forces during vehicle operations from road conditions such as pot holes, from terrain features such as rocks and tree roots, from atmospheric conditions such as wind shear and turbulence and from water surface conditions such as chop. Some vehicles, such as, but not limited to, all terrain vehicles, have seat assemblies which lack a suspension or other shock absorption mechanism. The vehicle seat assemblies for such vehicles typically include a polyurethane or other foam cushion having a thickness that substantially exceeds the thickness of foam cushions used on vehicle seat assemblies that are equipped with suspensions or other mechanical shock absorption mechanisms.
The shock absorption capability of such thickened foam cushions may not be adequate or optimal for certain applications including all-terrain vehicles such as, but not limited to, four-by-fours, snowmobiles, and certain watercraft. Additionally, such thick cushioning may result in undesirable vehicle seat dimensions. It would be advantageous to provide a seat assembly for such vehicles having a lower profile and more desirable shock absorbency characteristics. The present invention addresses these issues.